Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-11-10
Helena, Montana, Thursday, November 10, 1887
EPISODE IN CONSTANTINOPLE.
MOslem Princess Offends the Proprie-
ties of Oriental Society-The Penalty.

1
ties of Oriental Society-The Penalty.
1t so happened during the past summer
that this fair princess desired to pay some
Moslem rites upon the grave of her mother,
who died the summer before upon the Bos-
| phorus She came to Constantinople. Her
physicians ordered her to Prinkipo There
she took a house near ours, and, as in duty
bound, 1 make my devoirs. Ny wife invites
her to ride in our launch, amid the isles of
our beautiful little archipelago. Without
much reflection procure carriage, drive to
the villa of the princess and tap the knocker.
Her man servant comes to the door, and soon
she appears radiant in all the beauty of her
white tulle yashmak, and as stately as be-
came one of the line of Mehemet Ali. l as
sist her into the carriage. She sits by the
side Of my wife and they make the vivacious
French incandescent with their talk. We
drive to the scala, where the flag and the
launch await US. Unfortunately at this time
one of the ferries from Constantinople comes
in and lands about a thousand passengers.
They see the Giaour, with the stovepipe hat.
He is gallanting a:Mohammedan lady. The
rumor reaches the kaimakam, or governor OF
the island. We return to the scala after our
sail among the islands. We drive her to her
home i'll the carriage, which is waiting What
is the result? Before take the boat that day
for Constantinople my driver, horses and car
riage are arrested by order of the kaimakam!
This is indeed an adventure not provided
for by any instructions from the state de-
partment. At once 1 send a remonstrance to
the kaimakam against the arrest of one in
the employ of the American minister. 1t is
couched in unabridged terms, such as are EN-
braced in the word interterritoriality.
1t is needless to say that this proceeding
reached the prefect in the city, and fear
the sultan and the palace also. There has
been an apparent infraction of the Turkish
law, which forbids a Mahometan woman,
unless of princely rank, to be seen upon the
street with any man, and more especially
Christian. The plug hat made prima facle
case. However, the matter was decorously
settled. as it should have been; for the kali
makam had exceeded his authority. 1t was
matter outside of his jurisdiction. His con-
duct was arbitrary. He had no warrant or
process for the seizure Of the horses, the
driver or carriage. If there had not been an
Oriental princess in the case-who exhibited
some sensibility in relation to her royal in
dependency, which perhaps she had over
stepped-the matter might have figured in
our diplomatic correspondence. As it was,
the affair was properly settled without pur-
suit of the governor. My impression is that
he did not know the quality of the LADY nor
the capacity of the minister. | had occasion
to remedy at the palace any seeming mis-
chief which may have been done. The prin-
cess left us the next day, which was the be-
ginning of Bairam, in order to sacrifice
sheep upon the grave Of her mother. She
was a devout Moslem, as well as most
charming and intelligent woman.
1 am sorry to undignify the kaimakam of
the Princes Islands, who produced so much
trouble in this romance of the princess.
Since left the island he has become an ex-
kaimakam. This means an unknown guam
tity not only in algebra, but in politics. He
was removed from office. He had been un-
mindful of the relation of meum ct tunm.
He overdrew his salary by more than $4,000,
an act without legality on his part, or salts
faction on the other parts. S. Cox's Book.